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Starting pitcher Mike Fiers #50 of the Oakland Athletics leaves the field after being replaced in the top of the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on April 20, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

OAKLAND — The Athletics made their first adjustment to the starting rotation Monday night, and using 2018 as a guide, there will be more on the way.

First, the good news. Left-hander Brett Anderson, who left after 2 2/3 innings in Sunday’s 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, was walking without a limp and looks on track to make his turn on April 27 when the Athletics are in Toronto.

When Chris Bassitt in the first game of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, it was the first adjustment to a rotation that was a work in progress all last season en route to 97 wins and a playoff berth.

Bassitt opened in place of Marco Estrada, who is on the injured list with a lumbar strain and isn’t expected to make his next start, either.

Frankie Montas, outstanding in his previous start against Houston, pitches Tuesday night against the Rangers with Aaron Brooks pitching on Wednesday’s getaway day.

Despite the relative stability in the rotation, it hasn’t paid off in terms of results as the Athletics began Monday with an 11-13 record. Over the previous 14 games, A’s starters are 4-7 with a 7.64 earned run average and opponents are hitting .296.

The Athletics are coming off a season in which 12 of their 26 moves to the disabled list involved starting pitchers, and the 824 1/3 innings worked by starters last season was fewest in franchise history in a non-strike year.

With starters this season averaging just over five innings per assignment, the projection with an admittedly small sample size to this point is 814.4 innings worked this season.

Only two A’s starters have recorded outs in the seventh inning this season, with Anderson pitching 6 2/3 innings on April 9 against Baltimore and Montas 6 1/3 last week against the Astros.

Fiers, the opening day starter, has pitched just 10 innings in his last three starts and was searching for answers after Toronto hitters hit .500 against him Saturday (9-for-18) in a 10-1 loss.

“I need to figure it out pretty quick,” Fiers said. “It’s still early, but these games count as well and I need to clean it up and pitch better for this team.”

While it sounds logical to have starters shoot for six innings before turning it over to a bullpen that is one of the strengths of the team, A’s manager Bob Melvin said it’s not that simple.

Starters get watched more closely the more they face the same hitters, and at that point it’s tempting go start looking for the likes of Lou Trivino and Blake Treinen to finish things up.

Pitcher Marco Estrada is on the injured list with a back injury.

“I think, our organization looks at the third and fourth time around the lineup as when things start to historically go the other way,” Melvin said.

From there, there are a variety of factors to consider, including pitch counts, matchups and which pitchers are available in relief.

“Every particular day has a different nuance to it, depending on what you have available in the bullpen, how a starter is pitching, whether he’s economical in his pitches and so forth,” Melvin said. “I think if a starter is effective and he’s still effective going into the sixth or seventh inning, I don’t think it’s that hard to stick with a guy. Yet you do have some guys in the bullpen that seem to be able to shut games down.”

The Athletics have been willing to make moves not only because of injury, but ineffectiveness. Fiers and Brooks are both in a rough patch, and Estrada is out indefinitely. Meanwhile, Daniel Mengden, who has logged major league time in each of the last two seasons, is 3-0 in Triple-A Las Vegas with a 3.00 earned run average and 28 strikeouts and 24 innings.

The A’s also brought back Edwin Jackson, who was 6-3 with a 3.33 earned run average in 17 starts last season.

RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY: Ryan Buchter, who had a 7.04 earned run average and was being hit a .375 clip through 13 appearances, was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, with Ryan Dull replacing him on the roster.

Buchter was the only left-handed pitcher on the roster, and if he works out his issues, Melvin expects him to be back.

“This is a guy we’re really going to need,” Melvin said. “When he’s no, he’s not just a left-handed bullpen guy, he’s a good one.”

Given the Rangers have some quality left-handed hitters, having only right-handed pitchers can be problematic.

“You just go with your best matchup, right on left,” Melvin said. “Maybe the timing’s not great, but we feel like we have some guys down there that can get left-handers out.”

Dull, 29, has 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings in six games with Las Vegas with opponents hitting only .147.

“I’ve been thrown into a variety of roles already to keep me prepared for being back up here,” Dull said.

OLSON PROGRESSING: First baseman Matt Olson, out since having the hamate bone removed from his right hand, will go on the Athletics upcoming road trip, take batting practice “in the coming days” according to Melvin, and the hope is he’ll be ready to play by mid-May.

HUNDLEY’S HUSTLE: Ramon Laureano’s home-run saving catch against Teoscar Hernandez Sunday was only slightly more remarkable than the play catcher Nick Hundley made backing up the play and throwing out Hernandez at second.

Hundley not only covered a lot of ground, but made an off-balance throw on target to Jurickson Profar at second base.

“I thought it was a homer. Once he crow-hopped to throw, I kind of took stock of the situation,” Hundley said. “I know how good of an arm he has. Can’t let a guy that just robbed a homer get an error, you know? You obviously don’t practice those. You just let your athleticism take over and see what happens.”